Affection
Mary Elizabeth Coleridge 1861 (London) – 1907
The earth that made the rose,
She also is thy mother, and not I.
The flame wherewith thy maiden spirit glows
Was lighted at no hearth that I sit by.
I am as far below as heaven above thee.
Were I thine angel, more I could not love thee.
Bid me defend thee!
Thy danger over-human strength shall lend me,
A hand of iron and a heart of steel,
To strike, to wound, to slay, and not to feel.
But if you chide me,
I am a weak, defenceless child beside thee.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 29, 2023
- 28 sec read
- 396 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCC CCDDCC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 459 |
Words | 94 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6 |
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"Affection" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/26861/affection>.
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